The present invention relates to submersible vehicles, such as an artificial fish, a submersible research vehicle and a submersible work barge, and more particularly to vehicles that generate a propelling force by means of swinging wings.
What is shown in FIG. 1 is a conventional submersible vehicle 100 that generates a propelling force by means of a screw propeller 101. In this type of submersible vehicle 100, the propelling force generated by the screw propeller 101 acts only in the direction of the axis of rotation. In order to control the traveling direction of the submersible vehicle 100, auxiliary devices, such as a rudder 102 and a side thrustor 103, are provided for the side and stem of the submersible vehicle 100. This type of submersible vehicle 100 can travel linearly in a satisfactory manner but the direction control and position maintaining control thereof are restricted.
The use of the screw propeller 101 and the side thrustor 103 is disadvantageous in that when they are used, they may catch objects around them during rotation. For this reason, the submersible vehicle 100 is sometimes restricted in use for the purpose of ensuring safety.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a submersible vehicle which can be not only moved forward or backward but also steered by oscillating or swinging the wings in such a manner that they move like the fins of a fish.